ISLAMABAD: The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) is seeking $71 million to assist Afghan refugees returning in desperate conditions to Afghanistan from Pakistan and Iran.

The UNHCR is working with partners like UNDP and IOM to support the growing number of returnees in Afghanistan.

Amid the current funding uncertainties, “we need $71 million to respond to this crisis across the region over a nine-month period”, UNHCR spokesperson Babar Baloch said during a press briefing at the European headquarters of United Nations in Geneva on Tuesday.

In April, more than 251,000 Afghans have returned in adverse circumstances from Pakistan and Iran, including over 96,000 who were deported.

While UNHCR recognises the many challenges, including economic pressures, facing these countries that have hosted millions of Afghans for decades, “we have also consistently shared our concerns that regardless of their legal status, people forced to return to Afghanistan may encounter serious protection risks”.

This is especially true for Afghan women and girls who face increasing restrictions in terms of access to employment, education and freedom of movement in Afghanistan.

Among other profiles, ethnic and religious minority groups, human rights activists, and journalists could also be at risk upon their return. These concerns are compounded by humanitarian needs inside Afghanistan, rising unemployment rates as well as natural disasters and extreme weather incidents.

Since 2023, more than 3.4 million Afghans have returned or been deported from Pakistan and Iran, including over 1.5 million in 2024 alone. Such mass returns have strained the capacity of many provinces in Afghanistan and exacerbated the risk of further internal displacement.

In 2024, Afghans became the largest group (41 per cent) of irregular arrivals from the Asia-Pacific region into Europe.

Published in Dawn, April 30th, 2025